Shoe-fastening.



I -No. 738,399. v PATENTED SEPT. 8, 1903.

L. A. BOEHMB.

SHOE FASTENING.

APPLICATION FILED we. 22, 1902.

10 MODEL.

iatented September 8, 1903 PATENT OFFICE.

LOUIS A. BOEHME, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

SHOE-FASTENING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 738,399, dated September 8, 1903.

Application filed August 22, 1902 Serial No. 120.639. (No model.)

To aZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, LOUIS A. BOEHME, a citizen of theUnited States,residing at Chicago,in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Shoe-Fastenings, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to fastenings primarily intended for use on shoes, and has for its objects to provide a fastening device which can be readily and quickly adjusted to permit the insertion of a foot into a shoe or its withdrawal therefrom, which when properly adjusted will eifectu ally close the shoe, and which can be manufactured at small cost.

These objects I attain by the construction and arrangement of parts shown in the drawings and hereinafter specifically described.

That which I claim as my invention is set forth in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings,Figure 1. is a perspective View of a shoe with my'improved fastening applied thereto and in position to close the ordinary opening in the shoe. Fig. 2 is a plan view of my improved fastening device in a closed position. Fig. 3 is a view similar to that of Fig. 2, but showing the de- Vice opened. FigA is a side view of the device. Fig. 5 is a cross-section at line 5 5 of Fig. 2. Fig. (3 is an enlarged View, partly in section, the section being taken at line 6 6 of Fig. 4, a portion of the device being broken away; and Fig. 7 is an enlarged under side view of the slide and its attached loop.

Referring to the several figures of the drawings, A indicates a low-cut shoe to which my improved fastening device is shown as applied to close the usual front opening of the shoe. IVhile I have shown the invention applied to a low-cut shoe, it is to be understood that the invention is applicable to other types of shoes than that shown.

8 8 indicate two metallic strips similar in construction and of a length corresponding to the opening in the front of the shoe to which the device is to be applied. These strips 8 8 are to be secured in any appropriate manner at opposite sides of said shoe-opening. In the drawings I have shown these strips as provided with small holes 9, through which any suitable securing means may be passed.

10 indicates a plate adapted to be suitably secured to a shoe at or near the closed end of the shoe-opening referred to. As shown, this plate is provided with small holes 11 for the passage of any desired securing means.

One end of each of the strips 8 is pivotally secured to the plate 10, such pivotal eonnee tion being indicated by 12.

1 1 indicates a stud 011 the upper face of the plate 10 and located approximatelyin the een= ter of such plate.

13 indicates guides on the inner edges of the strips 8 8, such guides being formed in the construction shown byiurning the material of which such strips are formed over upon itself. The attached ends of the strips 8 8, including the guide portions 13 13, are rounded, as shown, and the stud 1-t is suitably cut away to permit the strips being turned on their respective pivots 12, such pivots being located,

as shown, at opposite sides of the said stud and slightly in advance thereof.

15 indicates a slide having on its underside, and preferably formed integral therewith,two oppositely-located flanges 16 16, adaptedv to engage and move upon the guides 13 13 of the strips 8 8. As best shown in Fig. 7, this slide has its sides slightly inclined, and the smaller end is of a width to properly fit over the two guides 13 13 when the strips 8 S are close to= gether.

17 indicates a loop swiveled to one end of the slide, preferably to the larger end, as shown, which is adapted to be grasped by the user for moving the slide along the guides. The slide 15 is to be placed smaller end foremost on the guides 13 13, and as such smaller end corresponds closely in width to the distance apart of the edges of the guides the two strips 8 8 will be held together with the desired closeness wherever the slide may be ad justed until such slide is moved downward to the limit of its travel against the stud 14. \Vhen brought to this position,it will be noted that its contracted end (see Fig. 3) slightly passes the pivotal connections 12 12. The strips 8 8 can then be spread apart, as shown in said Fig. 3, thus permitting the shoe to open suificiently to permit a foot to be placed in or Withdrawn from the shoe. This spreading apart of the two strips 8 8 is permitted by reason of the fact that the inclined faces of the ICO slide diverge toward the'top of the fastening, for it is obvious that if the engaging flanges 16 of said slide had parallel sides the strips 8 8 would be prevented from swinging outward, as shown. By giving to the flanged sides of the slide an incline,however,the'strips 8 8 are permitted an outward swing corresponding to the inclination of such flanged sides. The stud 14 on the plate acts as an. abutment for the slide, preventing such slide from being pushed off the guides on the strips and acting to stop the slide at the proper point to permit the strips being swung on their respective pivots.

It will be evident from the foregoing description that my fastening device, hereinbefore described, includes two strips, each having a longitudinal guide and a slide having flanges to embrace said guides, the working faces of the flanges being inclined and diverging toward the top of the fastening device and said flanges constituting the sole connection for uniting the slide to the strips. By virtue of the inclination between the two faces the strips can be freely opened or swung away from each other, as indicated in Fig. 3, without the necessity of removing the slide therefrom. As the flanges mentioned constitute the sole connection for uniting the slide to the strips, said strips can be swung closed independently of the slide when the latter is in its lowermost position, by reason of which the tongue of a shoe can be adjusted and the flaps thereof closed without moving the said slide upward. When the shoe-tongue is adjusted and the strips closed, the slide can be subsequently moved toward the top of the fastening in order to hold the same closed. The stop 14, which, it will be seen, is supported by the plate 10, constitutes a means for preventing the separation of the slide from the lower end of the fastening.

The strips are preferably given a slight curvature from end to end, as shown in Fig. 4, and are slightly bowed longitudinally, as shown in Fig. 3, in order to better adapt them to the shape of that part of the shoe to which they are applied.

I am aware that it is not new to employ in fasteners of this character strips with guides on their inner edges on which is adapted to be moved a device for holding the strips together, and I do not, therefore, broadly claim such construction; but i What I do claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is as follows:

1. In a fastening device of the class described, the combination with two strips each having a longitudinal guide, of a slide having flanges to embrace said guides, the working faces of the flanges being inclined and diverging toward the top of. the fastening, and said flanges constituting the sole connection for uniting the slide to the strips.

2. In a fastening device of the class described, the combination of two strips, each having a longitudinal guide, a plate to which the lower ends of such strips are pivoted, a slide having flanges to embrace said guides, the working faces of the flanges being inclined and diverging toward the top of the fastening device, said flanges constituting the sole connection for uniting the slide to the strips, and a stop upon said plate for preventing the separation of the slide from the lower ends of the strips.

, LOUIS A. BOEHME.

WVitnesses:

HELEN M. COLLIN, ALBERT I-I. ADAMS. 

